Farming children muck in

Historically, New Zealand farming children have always done their share of the work – and nothing has changed in the Leigh family of Okoroire.

Cameron Leigh, 11, and his brother William, 10, and sister Rebecca, 9, have grown up on their parents’ Top-Notch Calf rearing property.

Cameron says they can work for up to eight hours a day when things get really busy.

“We do everything and anything. Recently we went with dad to our Te Awamutu lease block where we weighed and drenched 300 calves. We were also in charge of operating the drafting gate.”

Mrs Joanne Leigh said the children basically do what they would have to pay extra staff for.

“They do everything really. They feed calves, round the calves up and help out on our dairy farm when need be. When the farm staff is away the family works together as a team to get the jobs done.”

Top-Notch Calves is a family business that has been operating for eight years and rears around 7000 calves a year from a few days of age up until they weigh100 kilograms. The system operates with three full time staff members and six to seven seasonal staff. The facility accommodates three different calf batches: autumn, early spring, and late spring.

The farm work can be hard but the children say they would not have it any other way. William said that the farm assures them valuable life skills.

“We could never live in town there would be no space to do anything and you couldn’t be loud! The farm has also taught us that if you start something you have to keep working until you get the job finished and it can sometimes take forever.’’

Joanne says before the family made the move to the farm they lived in Mount Maunganui where she and husband Jonathan owned a property investment business.

Although they both worked very hard the children did not really get to see their parents doing physical work.

“We decided that we didn’t want to bring the kids up in town, we wanted to bring the kids up on a farm where they would have nothing in their way, no limits and we would be able to teach the kids the work ethic they need in life.”

While Cameron and William think the best thing about the farm is the endless acres to ride their bikes on, Rebecca said it is the freedom and space she loves most about the farm.

“My favourite thing about the farm is the space, there’s nothing in your way, there’s enough space to do whatever you please like kicking a ball round and this you can’t do in town.”